Matawan Regional High School has completed a groundbreaking statewide initiative to strengthen mental health support services, becoming the only school in Monmouth County to finish the intensive, multi-year program.
The school successfully completed the Enhancing School Mental Health Services Project, a partnership with Rutgers University’s Center for Comprehensive School Mental Health and the New Jersey Department of Education. The program brought together educators, counselors, school psychologists, social workers, and administrators in monthly meetings and training sessions designed to assess student needs, evaluate current support systems, and identify opportunities for improvement.
The training equipped staff with evidence-based mental health practices and systems to better identify and support students. As part of the initiative, the school implemented a universal behavior screener administered to freshman class members with parental consent. The screening was entirely confidential and provided insight into student well-being, with surveys continuing each year to provide ongoing data. The school also created a health resources website for families, designed to connect them with counseling and crisis resources.
According to Sheryl Kish, a special education and math teacher who played a key role in the district’s efforts, the initiative contributed to a positive shift in school culture. “There’s a greater sense of connection and belonging throughout the building,” she said. “Students are looking out for each other more, and staff members are having more meaningful conversations with students.” Kish emphasized that “one of the most valuable parts of the program was taking a close look at how we identify and support students. We revamped our intervention and referral process using state guidance and best practices to help identify students in need and ensure staff feel confident having important conversations with students and their families.”
The school also implemented PACK Bucks (Preparedness, Accountability, Communication, and Kindness), a positive recognition program encouraging students to demonstrate positive character traits. Staff members award students with PACK Bucks, which can be entered into raffles for prizes. Michael Wells, principal of Matawan Regional High School, stated: “Over the past two years, this partnership has helped us strengthen how we support students academically, socially and emotionally. The work our staff has done through this initiative has created a more proactive and supportive school environment, based on the gold-standard for data-driven, evidence-based best practices for mental health support services.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://patch.com/new-jersey/matawan-aberdeen/matawan-regional-high-school-achieves-gold-standard-teen-mental-health